Various systems can be controlled by networked devices. For example, some lighting systems include lamps that are controlled by networked controllers that communicate with each other to coordinate the activation and deactivation of the lamps. Some of these networked lighting systems can provide for automated control of the lamps.
At times, however, the automated control of the lamps may need to be manually overridden. For example, a user may wish to deactivate the lamps by actuating a tangible device, such as by flipping a switch, pressing a button, etc. These actuated devices may be part of the network of controllers in that the actuated devices may be connected with the networked controllers by wired and/or wireless connections.
The actuated devices may require a power source, such as an internal battery. The battery may need occasional replacing, but the timely replacing of the batteries may be forgotten due to the infrequent nature in which the batteries need to be replaced. As a result, the ability to manually override the automated control of the lamps may be lost.
While energy harvesting devices exist that can power other devices using ambient energy, the inclusion of energy harvesting devices into a networked system can pose problems. For example, many networks (such as lighting control networks) may require or involve repeated communications with the components connected in the networks. Use of energy harvesting devices to power networked components can result in the networked components being unable to communicate with the energy harvested-powered devices during time periods where there is insufficient ambient energy to harvest for power. As a result, the networked controllers may be unable to communicated with the energy harvested-powered devices, and operation of the network may suffer.